It’s not a secret that Ohio State has had a lot of talent come through the program, both historically, and in recent years at a lot of position groups.
One of those positions is on the defensive line which was recently recognized in ESPN’s Defensive Line U rankings, trailing only Alabama and Florida State at No. 3.
There are countless players throughout Ohio State’s history that contributed to this ranking. The Buckeyes have had 23 defensive linemen named All-Americans, including four two-time All-Americans.
Immediately the Bosa brothers and Chase Young come to mind as superstar edge rushers at Ohio State that are now stars in the NFL. Cameron Heyward also was a star for the Buckeyes before a fantastic career for the Steelers. Adolphus Washington and Michael Bennett were also pretty good in their own right, each on the 2014 national title-winning team as All-Americans.
If you go back a bit, fans remember players like Vernon Gholston, Quinn Pitcock, Will Smith, Mike Vrabel, Dan Wilkinson, and Alonzo Spellman as dominant forces along the front of attack.
The defensive line projects to be very strong again next season with potential stars and good depth at the edge and on the interior. The unit will be an integral position group for the Buckeyes to improve upon a defense that has let the team down in big games in recent seasons.
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